If I have approximately $500 to spend would this be a better alternative (link to follow in next post...I didn't have enough posts)?

I will probably be upgrading my current TV and DVD player to HD at the end of this year, and it would be nice not to have to get a new receiver to match. Is the box deal above the way to go, or can I get a similar receiver (HD) and better speakers buying separately?

The system we currently use for watching movies is a joke, so I don't have any other speakers unless I can do as you suggested and possibly convert the JL's into subs. I also have some old MB quartz 6's from the car. I wonder if they can be converted?

Buying stuff off CL is a good way to get some value as the Onkyo 800, for example, is a good beefy amp. On the other hand you'd have used equipment and it's nice to have all the bells & whistles on the new receivers. Consider one of those Onkyo HTiB's...you can always upgrade the front three down the road with something like the JBL speakers above, just for example, or something better.

I've never built one but it's supposedly pretty easy and a fun project to make a sub...ask the experts though. Speakers are different and I don't think I'd convert car speakers for home use. I've seen it done on this forum but it looked pretty ghetto and those car speakers are built differently than home speakers.

Yeah, it'll work. They will create sound but I couldn't possible say how good they all are together...I suppose the risk factor is pretty low since they're very cheap. People always say the center should match the front speakers or it will sound off but sometimes it's not that big a deal.

I don't really know what to tell you...buy a good receiver, build a sub, and get those $69 speakers...you'd always have a good receiver and $69 isn't a huge loss if you don't like them.

Any suggestions of where to purchase an HD receiver if I go the route of creating my own?

If I were to get something like the Onkyo HT-S5200 is the receiver HD? Would it be reasonable to think I could keep it without having to upgrade for another 5 years? And possibly start working on upgrading the speakers in a couple of years?

The 5200 probably isn't too bad but it doesn't do the HDMI audio thing. You might be happier wth a 6100/6200 and up. The receiver in the 6100 is slightly different than the Onkyo 606 and the receiver in the 6200 is slightly different than the 607. Sorry, I don't know exactly the difference...I'm sure if you google someone has compared them.

What is HD to you? Just the video, or the lossless audio, too? What video players will be hooked up to it?

Upgrading is an individual choice. A properly maintained receiver can last decades, but the newer features come along pretty much all the time. Speakers, on the other hand, can probably outlast you if you take care of them and you like the sound. Better speakers can be had down the road, but you can get some good ones now.

HD has always been video for me. I had no idea there was HD for audio until I started researching this. I'd like to think I'd be able to appreciate the difference, but who knows. I'll be using this for movies 90% of the time. I'm rarely home to enjoy music, and find I listen to the news in the truck. The HDMI would be nice as I play movies through the laptop, and the current DVD player has HDMI.

Other than that I guess I am looking for suggestions from people who know much more than I ever will about audio(that would be you guys).

I thought there was a lot of info to sift through in deciding on a tv, and then a BD player... ugh. The audio side of things is the largest (and hardest).

Have my eye on the Onkyo 7200 HTiB. Don't like the price, though, and the vibe that the HTiB speakers aren't very good has sunk in for me. So...

How well does the Onkyo RC160 (really like this unit) pair up with the Energy Take 5's? I like this route because I don't need 7.1 right now and I can buy new fronts later to move to 7.1.

What do I need to do to find out if I can transition the sub from my old Sony HTiB to this new setup? Am I just asking for trouble and would be better off with even the lowest end sub (worth buying)? I haven't been to the sub forum yet, but I saw mentioned in this thread that there is some recommendations at ~$100 and a few between $100 and $200. I could probably squeeze the sub into the budget.

EDIT: oops, it's really late and I forgot to finish my thoughts. The alternative I'm looking at is something like one of the Polk 5.1 packages. So if anyone can throw options out there in the $250 to $350 range for a 5.1 setup I'd appreciate it.

I thought there was a lot of info to sift through in deciding on a tv, and then a BD player... ugh. The audio side of things is the largest (and hardest).

Have my eye on the Onkyo 7200 HTiB. Don't like the price, though, and the vibe that the HTiB speakers aren't very good has sunk in for me. So...

How well does the Onkyo RC160 (really like this unit) pair up with the Energy Take 5's? I like this route because I don't need 7.1 right now and I can buy new fronts later to move to 7.1.

What do I need to do to find out if I can transition the sub from my old Sony HTiB to this new setup? Am I just asking for trouble and would be better off with even the lowest end sub (worth buying)? I haven't been to the sub forum yet, but I saw mentioned in this thread that there is some recommendations at ~$100 and a few between $100 and $200. I could probably squeeze the sub into the budget.

EDIT: oops, it's really late and I forgot to finish my thoughts. The alternative I'm looking at is something like one of the Polk 5.1 packages. So if anyone can throw options out there in the $250 to $350 range for a 5.1 setup I'd appreciate it.

TIA.

For the price ($150) I think the Takes are the way to go. Use any money left over for a decent sub like HSU, Bic, PA, etc

I have been skimming through the thread all day, but either due to a lack of effort or background knowledge I still have some pretty basic questions.

First I'll set up my situation. I'm currently living in a fraternity house. For now I'll be living in what is to me a very large room, probably 30x24, but next semester I could be in a significantly smaller one. In either case there are lofts, so I'm imagining that the room is set up horrifically for acoustics. I'm looking for a 5.1 system, with budget of $600 or so. The system will get a lot of use for movies, music and gaming from a xbox360, as well as PC. The PC I will be playing music/movies with is old and has only a headphone jack for audio and VGA output.

So for the questions I have:

I've heard that some sort of software on the reciever (like Audessey) to balance the sound quality for variable rooms is key for me. I've also seen that a lot of people highly regard the Onkyo TX-SR 504, does the 504 have any sort of function to do this?
Also, I noticed that the 504 doesn't have HDMI, which I'm assuming means switching audio and video channels seperately. I'm lazy so thats a requirement for me, albiet a lenient one, do universal remotes exist that could do this automatically? (I'd really like a one device control system)
Finally, does a lack of optical/HMDI audio make any difference in sound quality? If it does I would be willing to buy a new sound card for my PC, or should I regardless? (Assuming no because I think I've read something to that effect and people wouldn't praise it so much if it were)
Would any of those concerns be real issues for me? If so is there another inexpensive reciever that would fit my needs?

My next issue is with a sub, given the size of the room is there a cheap sub that would be adiquate? I really dont need anything amazing, but I'd like to have decent sound quality for at least the 3 couches around the tv, ideally my bed too.

Where are some good places to look for speakers/recievers? I found that a lot of the links from early in the thread don't lead to anything anymore, I've looked around ebay and amazon and either can't find the items or they are significantly higher priced.

I was looking at getting the Polk R50's, R150's and CS1, is this still a good system? I had also looked at the Klipsch 5.0 Packages, can anyone recommend any other speakers/packages?

I realize that the budget thing may be an issue, and if thats true I would definitely be willing to go with a 2.1 for a year, maybe bum some extra rear speakers from people or get some real cheap from craigslist. I want to move towards a system I can be happy with for at least a few years, but I don't mind taking a year or so to get there as long as the interum is better than my TV speakers.

Would a HTIB be a decent way to go for me? They seem to fit all my requirements but maybe sound quality and upgradability, but if it would only be a little worse quality with a lot more convenience/less money I would be fine with that. Upgrading isn't so much an issue now either, I figure it would be ok for the 3-4 more years until I can afford some more legitimate devices to start really getting into it anyway.

I'll appreciate the help, thank you for everyone before me for their related questions and answers, and thank you to anyone who can help me out with any of my questions.

These are the same as the Polk TSi series (TSi series is just a newer version with cosmetic changes) that they sell at Best Buy. It might be a good idea to have a listen....and maybe you can carry them over to the Magnolia area and see how they compare and if you'd be satisfied with them (but buy them from Newegg).

For the sub look at Parts Express - but cruise around the sub area, I'm not sure which one is recommended as having the most value...bang for the buck.

For the receiver...I'm not sure where you're reading about the Onkyo 504 as it's an older model. Is this something you already have? If so it would work fine.

Thanks a lot for the recommendations icky, and unfortunately no I don't already own a receiver, I had just seen the 504 mentioned quite a bit earlier in the thread. I've been looking on craigslist for a receiver and found a couple Onkyo's:
$250 TX-SR604
$400 HTR340 that comes with 3 Polk speakers and the rears from the htib and a sony 150w sub

I also found a set of two Cerwin-Vega E-710s and an E-75C for $150, I've read that these are loud, party type speakers, but are good for cinema as well. Would these be reasonable speakers to match with any of the above? I do plan on listening to a lot of music at regular db though, so is there any way to balance out the mids to make it sound better?

I've found that the 604 has Audessey and HDMI, both of which I was looking for (though it lacks upconversion which i had also really wanted), but the price/quality ratio of the receivers and speakers has me in a bind. Is there a large enough difference to make the 340 set not worth it, if so do you think the speakers alone would be well priced enough to pick them up but get the 604 receiver? My final option would be getting the 604 and getting the speakers icky recommended, starting with 2.1 (possibly the Cerwin-Vegas). I'm sure it depends on the specific models, but I have yet to find those details. Any sort of basic input would be much appreciated.

I apologize for being so ignorant and helpless, but this area of technology isn't exactly my forte.
Thanks for the help.

Stay well away from the HT-R340 - as far as I can tell it's from a bottom end HTiB and doesn't have enough power or features for you.

I think you're on the right track with the Onkyo 604/Cerwin Vega E-710 & E-75C for $150 - your room is huge and monster speakers might be appropriate. Who cares if they're not "detailed" or "accurate" or whatever adjective...you can blast away with them! Maybe you can get everyone in the frat to chip in $20 for the CVs...then just leave the them to the frat house and get another set when you move to a smaller room.

You can add whatever bookshelf speakers as surrounds, they don't need to be fancy.

Sounds like a plan, and a good idea about having people chip in. At the very least I'm sure I can sell them to someone when I'm moving out (if I so decide). However I am curious as to the next step, with those two purchases I would just have two fronts and a center, would I need a sub, or could I get two rears first? I figure it's one or the other because I really don't have much money left and I feel like a good sub is pretty expensive.

I was originally going to go the route of a HTIB, but I decided to explore the options of piecing together my own system. Here is what my limitations are and what I am looking for:

- $1000 budget
- 5.1 or 7.1 setup - it would be nice to have the 7.1 as I am not limited by where the couch is but if I cant fit it in the budget, 5.1 is perfectly acceptable and I would put sound quality at a priority over getting the 7.1 as I could always upgrade
- Need at least 4 hdmi inputs on the receiver and it should decode all the latest audio formats (Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, etc.)
- I plan to use the system for both SD and HDTV, Blu-Ray (Panasonic BDP-60), and Xbox 360 gaming. Also will use for Satellite Radio.
- EDIT: As I am only a college student, I do not have a defined room that this will be placed and stay in. For the next year, it will be in roughly a 19' x 14' room. Hard to plan after that. You are probably wondering how a college student could afford this, luckily I am a co-op student and found a great high paying job early on. but thats off topic. anyway...

Hopefully thats enough information, If I forgot something, just ask.

I am also really interested in starting off the system with a Denon AVR-790 A/V Receiver. It is reasonably priced at $400, has the capability of 7.1 if I decide to upgrade if I only go 5.1 now. It can output 90w/channel and has 4 hdmi and 2 component inputs.

The one thing about the receiver is it also includes Anchor Bay VRS advanced analog and digital video upconversion and deinterlacing with 1080p 24Hz/60Hz pass-through. I am a little unsure if this is unnecessary or will cause any upconversion problems with my tv. I have a 120hz Samsung 46" LN46B610 LCD TV.

Any information or suggestions on speakers/subs you can suggest would help.

I've been trying to help my parents out with their attempt to move into the current century of technology but since I have no prior experience with home theatre and limited time due to university it's been harder than I anticipated. Then of course there's the whole living in Canada handicap that has proven to be particularly irritating for both price and availability reasons (more so than usual anyways). Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

The existing setup is a 12'x18' room with an 8' ceiling with the TV slightly off-center and viewed across the width (12') of the room. The current TV is an old 24" Sony that weighs far more than it has any right to and there is no discrete sound system. A Wii is used for occasional gaming and a PS3 for dvd/blu-ray purposes.

They'll soon have a Samsung UN46B7000. With the TV being so thin its speakers are expected to be abysmal at best. This is where the desire for a simple $500-600 sound solution comes in. My parents are far from being audiophiles.

Just to make things a little more complicated the TV is limited to optical out and they would like to retain the media streaming courtesy of DLNA.

At the moment I'm considering some combination of the following Polk speakers and Onkyo receivers as both brands seem to be reasonably well thought of and I managed to find them for sale here.

I've gathered that the Onkyo 307 works via HDMI pass-thru so that would mean extra cables and no lossless audio but that doesn't seem like too big of a deal. I'm at a complete loss as to whether the TSi100s are $100 better than the R150s.

With my current idea being to start with a simple 2.0 system with some room to grow just in case is there a standout receiver/speaker pair that I listed? Maybe a completely different combination would be better?

Hello everyone, im not the biggest audiophile so you are going to have to bear with me and my price range. After I purchase my tv I will have just under 1k for a system, which I assume can get me a reasonable quality htib (preferably Onkyo). However I have priced some components together and came up with a system that is withing my budget, but am unsure if it would be any better than the Onkyo HT-S9100THX htib.

Thanks to the guys on here (thanks Afro GT) I was able to put together a 5.1 setup that I am very happy with. I'm positive it is much better than any Htib I could have gotten for the same amount of money.

Hello everyone, im not the biggest audiophile so you are going to have to bear with me and my price range. After I purchase my tv I will have just under 1k for a system, which I assume can get me a reasonable quality htib (preferably Onkyo). However I have priced some components together and came up with a system that is withing my budget, but am unsure if it would be any better than the Onkyo HT-S9100THX htib.

Ok guys, Im a newb to HT. I currently have a $300 Sony HTIB, bought at Walmart, that I've had for about 5 yrs. But now I want to step up to a better system.

I was gonna go with Onkyo 9100 HTIB but have read that I can do so much better buying seperates. So I started researching this site, but now I am more confused than ever.

First let me give you the basics of my needs. My living room is 15x16 with 8' ceilings. I currently have a 42"LCD Sharp Aquas, but thinking of going with a new 50-55" plasma. Also, researching a new BD player to go along with my system. This new system will be used 70% Bluray/DVD/HDTV, 20% music, 10% SD television. Oh and almost forgot, will be streaming Netflix also.

My budget is approx. $1500-$2000 for HT only. Was thinking maybe $500 for receiver, $500 for speakers, and $500 for sub? I assigned $500 for each so it will give me room to expand the the budget for 1 0r more of the components so I dont go over my $2000 limit. Maybe start off with 3 matching fronts and a sub for now, and then maybe upgrade to 5.1 or 7.1 later down the road.

Like I said earlier, I have researched this site and now come away more confused than I was before I started this mission. I'm about ready to pull my hair out! LOL....

I dont have any audio stores near me that I know of except Best Buy approx 60 miles away. I know I need to listen to speakers because it comes down to personal preferance, but Im not sure BB has anything that I need???? So maybe just take a chance on Internet Direct sites. I have read alot of good about Paradigm, but cant really find anywhere on the net to buy.

Anyways, if anyone cant point me in the right direction on any components that would suit my needs, I would really appreciate it. Thank you.

Polk R50/150/CSR/Velodyne VX-10 and HK AVR-146. In the OSD i can change the frequencies the speakers and sub handle, it's a relatively small room, i can change settings on the sub too.

Watching the Iron Maiden concert on D* tonight got me wondering if i could tweak it to sound a bit better You guys think one of those dedicated Amps would do anything, or should i just wait until i have a better setup later on?

P.S. The power cord on the sub isn't very long, i've wondered how some people get the subs to certain places in their HT setups around here.